Electro house has been gaining momentum for several years, but 2012 is the year it finally exploded. This year had a little something for everyone, from Dutch house to complextro and moombahton. Now LessThan3 proudly presents to you our selection of the top electro tracks that turned your legs to jelly and your mind to mush.

#15

,Tiesto & Showtek – Hell Yeah! (Original Mix)

Tiesto & Showtek - Hell Yeah! (Original Mix) [Musical Freedom]

No one knows how to get a party going like EDM icon Tiesto (pictured), but hard house legends Showtek are no slouches either. The two joined forces to create Hell Yeah!, a stadium-sized electro anthem that was the perfect track for the festival season. Featuring a crisp sound and an attitude for mayhem, Hell Yeah! helped bring some serious heat this summer.

#14

Deadmau5 – Professional Griefers (Instrumental Mix)

Deadmau5 - Professional Griefers (Instrumental Mix Edit) [Mau5trap]

No year-end list would be complete without Mr. Mau5. His twitter wars and outspoken criticisms may sometimes overshadow his productions, but what’s most important to us is the music. Professional Griefers is a audible war cry of tension-building electro complete with a fantastic melodic breakdown. Say what you want about the man behind the mask, but Deadmau5’s musical talent is beyond reproach. Check out the vocal version as well for a nice electro-rock collaboration with My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way.

#13

Zedd – Spectrum (Congorock Remix)

Zedd - Spectrum (Congorock Remix) [Interscope]

If you hadn’t heard of Italian electro star Congorock (pictured) before, his remix of Zedd’s mega-hit Spectrum likely put him on your map. Blending tropical hard house influences with elements of tribal and filthy talking bass, his gritty remix added a much-needed punch to the original and turned the dancefloor into a ravenous jungle.

#12

John Dahlback – Take This Thing Back (Original Mix)

John Dahlback - Take This Thing Back (Original Mix) [Rising]

We don’t know about you, but to us it seems like Swedish sensation John Dahlback puts out a new song every week, and they’re always amazing.. A master of electro and progessive house, Dahlback combines elements of both to create Take This Thing Back, a chippy piece of complextro that rides a pounding four-to-the-floor kick drum.

#11

Bingo Players – L’Amour (Original Mix)

Bingo Players - L'Amour (Original Mix) [Hysteria]

If there’s one song that absolutely electrified festival crowds this year, it was Bingo PlayersL’Amour. Borrowing a page out of Daft Punk’s playbook, the duo employed the use of robotic voice samples and familiar, Robot Rock-style melodies. The difference is that the Bingo Players also threw us a galactic ton of thunderous bass and mind-shattering kicks. If you can’t get up and jump to this, it’s time to look for a new genre.

#10

Nero – Must Be The Feeling (Delta Heavy Remix)

Nero - Must Be The Feeling (Delta Heavy Remix)

Usually known for their heavy style of drum & bass, Delta Heavy (pictured) switched things up here with their colossal complextro/moombahton remix of Nero’s standout track, Must Be The Feeling. A pulsing blend of heavy synths and Knife Party-esque lazer beams, this remix is exactly what fans of fast, hard-hitting electro want for breakfast.

#9

Albin Myers – Hells Bells (Original Mix)

Albin Myers - Hells Bells (Original Mix) [Dim Mak]

Are you ready for hell? Watch out AC/DC; this one is huge. Albin Myers combined elements of big-room electro with some heavy duty wobbles to create the hot and heavy Hells Bells. It’s a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and the soft buildup in the middle only increases the power of the beastly climax.

#8

Audien – Sup (Original Mix)

Audien - Sup (Original Mix) [Trice]

19 year-old Nate Rathbun, aka Audien, is more proof that age doesn’t matter in this industry. Sup is one of those songs that has you grinning ear to ear and nodding to your friends with glee. It starts out masquerading as a big-room anthem, but that’s before some of the dirtiest electro around drops and leaves you a quivering mess. Heavy is an understatement–this song is a relentless, no holds barred firecracker of distorted bass and gritty undertones.

#7

Gregori Klosman – Minibar (Original Mix)

Gregori Klosman - Minibar (Original Mix) [Hysteria]

It doesn’t get much bigger and badder than this. Minibar is a bouncy, mayhem-inducing track released on the most appropriately named label, Hysteria. Featuring two highly infectious basslines, this is a peak-time monster if ever there was one. If you don’t believe us, just wait until the climax when a voice screams about the lack of a minibar.

#6

Shreddie Mercury – Mount Cleverest (Original Mix)

Shreddie Mercury - Mount Cleverest (Original Mix) [SectionZ]

Winner of Zedd’sSpectrum remix contest, the punny man from Missouri known as Shreddie Mercury broke onto the scene this year thanks to a combination of pounding electro, beautiful buildups, rock-influenced melodies, and a dash of Super Nintendo sounds. Mount Cleverest is Shreddie Mercury at his finest, showcasing a distinct and surprisingly mature sound. Nothing quite sends chills down your spine like listening to this song slowly and softly build up to a most-satisfying drop. Boundless energy and mesmerizing melodies will have you rolling your head in ecstasy.

#5

Feed Me – One Click Headshot (Original Mix)

Feed Me - One Click Headshot (Original Mix Edit) [Mau5trap]

We would be remiss if we didn’t include an electro-style moombahton song in this collection, because this year was chock full of mid-tempo monsters. Speaking of monsters, everyone’s favorite green goblin Feed Me had yet another fantastic year. One Click Headshot, off his Escape From Electric Mountain EP, is a hard-hitting song in a similar vein to productions by Skrillex and Knife Party, best described as “crunchy bass." It’s delightfully playful and heavy all the way through, just the way we like it.

#4

Charlie Darker – Corner Kids (Original Mix)

Charlie Darker - Corner Kids (Original Mix) [Kannibalen]

2012 was the year of “growling bass" in electro, and arguably no one did it better than Charlie Darker. The Montreal native dropped banger after banger all year, so it was hard to pick just one for this chart. Corner Kids is a snarling beast of track that showcases his ability to turn any party into a riot.

#3

Wolfgang Gartner – Love & War (Original Mix)

Wolfgang Gartner - Love & War (Original Mix) [Ultra]

Surprise, surprise, the king of electro house makes an appearance on our year-end chart. Love & War gives us everything we love about Wolfgang Gartner — glitchy synths, heavenly piano work, and masterful sound design. 2012 saw him hop between progressive, big-room house and electro, but Love & War is definitely the latter. His unique and easily recognizable sound continues to push him to the forefront of the genre, and every time this track comes on images of the mainstage dance in our heads.

#2

Kaskade vs Qulinez – Stars Troll (Extended Mix)

Kaskade vs Qulinez - Stars Troll (Extended Mix) [Ultra]

EDM superstar Kaskade (pictured) is well-known for his incredible mashups, but this one takes the cake. Kaskade combined the standout vocals of his own track Stars Align with the massive electro song Trollby Qulinez to create one of the biggest main-room hits of the year. A breathtaking buildup and subsequent drop are propelled by blissful synth work and incredible vocals working in perfect harmony. This is one case of a mashup where the end result is something far greater than the sum of its parts.

#1

Madeon – Icarus (Live Version)

Madeon - Icarus (Live Version) [popcultur]

If Pop Culture was the French phenom’s introduction to the world, then Icarus sealed the deal. Madeon had fans foaming at the mouth in late 2011 with a fantastic teaser, but the full version was definitely worth the wait. The live version gives an inside look at Madeon’s mastery at performing for crowds, offering extended buildups and huge, imploding drops. This is the guy on everyone’s watchlist for 2013. Only 18, the world is literally at this young man’s fingertips.